Council speaker hopefuls rail on NYCHA for lead paint inspection crisis

City Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez speaks at a forum at the National Action Network on Nov. 28. (Ydanis Rodriguez via Twitter)

City Council speaker candidates bashed the embattled city housing authority over its failure to inspect residents' apartments for lead.

Councilman Ydanis Rodriguez (D-Manhattan) encouraged families affected by the botched inspections — and NYCHA's false certification that it completed them — to file a class action lawsuit against the city.

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Rodgriguez said the city's Department of Housing Preservation and Development should go just as hard on NYCHA as it does on private landlords.

"We have failed," he said at a forum Tuesday night hosted by Rev. Al Sharpton's National Action Network. "We should not go just after Shola (Olatoye, the NYCHA chair). The rest of the people, anyone responsible for what happened, from the top to the bottom should pay for the consequences."

A Department of Investigation probe this month found that NYCHA falsely reported to the feds for years that it was handling all required inspections.

"There were documents submitted to the federal government that were lies," said Councilman Jumaane Williams (D-Brooklyn). "I don't want to sugarcoat this. The mayor has said that he knew about it."

NYCHA Chairwoman Shola Olatoye. (MARCUS SANTOS/New York Daily News)

The Daily News reported that de Blasio was informed last year that NYCHA was violating the lead paint rules.

"If people lie, and they lie knowingly about a health situation, they should be fired," said Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer (D-Queens).

A spokeswoman for Mayor de Blasio dismissed the criticism from the field. "Politicians are going to be politicians," said Olivia Lapeyrolerie.

At the forum, hopefuls also grappled with the role race should play in picking a speaker to replace Melissa Mark-Viverito, the body's first Hispanic leader.

There has never been a black speaker, and Sharpton said he won't necessarily back one this time — but it must be someone who grasps racial inequality.

"That does not mean that ultimately the person will be black. I supported Mayor de Blasio over a black," Sharpton said, referring to his support for de Blasio over Bill Thompson in the 2013 election.

"Some are saying because we've never had a black City Council president, that that's what we're looking for. No, we're looking for the best candidate for the black community," he said, but added, "It is horrific we've never had a black (speaker), because it gives the connotation we're not qualified."

Some candidates were less shy in arguing that the Council should be sure to pick a non-white speaker.

"I am not ashamed," said Councilman Robert Cornegy (D-Brooklyn). "It is a reasonable request that the speaker of the City Council of New York be representative of the demographics not only of the City Council body, but of the city of New York."

With the top city and statewide posts mostly held by white men, Williams said it would be a "travesty" for the Council to join them.

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"We shouldn't just put anybody up there because of the color of our skin," he said. "But there are five of us... One of us probably has the qualifications that everybody's looking for."